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Jobs Preview Lifts Stocks

By

Jonathan Cheng

Updated Aug. 4, 2010 4:11 p.m. ET

Investors were cheered by hints of an improving employment picture, pushing U.S. stocks higher Wednesday ahead of closely-watched official jobs numbers on Friday that could shed light on the durability of the recovery.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished up 44.05 points, or 0.4%, at 10680.43. The advance puts the blue-chip index 2% higher than where it started the month, close to a three-month high.

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